I think I am going to raise my front and rear crossmembers to get my truck lower, and be able to keep the stock axle, Is this a good idea or bad idea?
Problem with raising the front Crossmember, then engine has to keep going higher...along with the tranny, floorboards, seat riser/etc (to a point). You'd be better off running a dropped axle, and/or using the longer shackels in the front to drop things down. Are you sticking with the stock rear suspension?
I am putting an 8" rear in it, but I am setting it up kinda stock with split rods and a single leaf, is there any problems that i will encounter using longer shackles?
On the front's you'll be fine....you may have to (dpending on how long you go...get a different spring setup for the front, but I've added 1 inch in the front w/o problems before, that and a dropped axle sits it down nice...not a grass cutter/slammed thing. I think I'd be concerned about going too long on the front shackle hangers...just for stability purposes. I forget how the original rears were set up, so I'm hesistant to add thoughts there, but other than having to maybe go into the bed (if raising the rear crossmember), I don't see any issues that would occur.
if you give me a call i'll talk you through what you will need and what works best. i have done what you want to do, but it will take me longer to type it than tell you. -danny 713 899-1599 cell
Please take the time I have another '35-40 frame, dropped axle and a spare '36 cab I wanted to make "traditional". Take your time, I type twofingered as well
here is a 35 coupe i did for jimmie vaughn, a 40 pickup i did for another customer, and my old 39 sedan.
i was hoping that you didn't want me to type it, but here it goes. on a 37-40 car or truck, you can use a magnum dropped i-beam axle for a 37-40 and still use a stock spring. that will only bring the front down around 2". on the 40 pickup in the pictures, on the front i used a magnum axle and a dropped posie spring with a chassis engineering shock kit and sway bar. on the rear i used the original rear end and spring with a chassis shock kit and sway bar. to lower it i cut and raised the center of the rear crossmember to where the crossmember was flat. that dropped it around 4.5-5". on the 35 coupe i used a magnum 32-36 48" wide axle with 2" perch bosses. i also used a posie spring, chassis engineering sway bar, and shock kit. on the rear i used a posie spring that i dearched to get it to sit where i wanted it. the 39 sedan i did a bunch of stuff to the front end. i used a 46", 5" drop tube axle from magnum. which needed a narrow front spring, and a narrow sway bar. the wish bone needed to be reworked to make all the parts gell together. on the rear i used a posie spring that was rearched to sit lower. then i added a sway bar and tube shocks like the other cars. like i said before, call me and i'll answer any questions you may have. -danny
Longer than stock shackle bars on pre-41 Fords reduce or eliminate the factory designed tension mount of the springs which means you must install Panhard rods front or rear like Ford did from 42-48 when they lengthened the shackle bars and de-tensioned the spring mounting.
all of the cars i built above have thousands of miles on them. when i say somthing will work it is only because i have tested it myself.over the years i have put my designs to the test on my own cars long before i install them in customer's projects. there have been some things that have not worked the way i wanted, and they got changed. keep us posted on your truck progress. -danny
Danny, thanks for typing all that out Any issues with the torque tube leaking/vibration after the drop(s)? I wanna flatten my rear x-member, but I don't want to cause other problems... I'd like to go as low in the rear as reasonably possible (taildragger)
no. i make a torque tube seal plate the keeps the oil in the rear end. if the center bearing (37-48 torque tubes) are in good shape, you won't have any problems with the shaft. here is a picture of the seal plate i make. if you need one i sell them. $100.00 -danny *ALL DESIGNS ARE PROPERTY OF BRUCE'S ROD SHOP*
Great info on this thread. Thanks Danny for taking the time to type it out! What size tires on the '39? Bitchin stance on it! -Shiny
Danny, I just flattened the rear x-member on my 38 p/u. Is that seal plate a necessary item? Ive never messed w/ these torque tubes before. Also, any other advice you can give on making sure this old rearend is roadworthy would be greatly appreciated. Mike
Flattened the rear x-member on my '35 phaeton and got it down around 5" lower. May reverse the eyes on the spring and de-arch it a lil too. Also thought of raising the middle of the x-member and lowering it another inch. On the front I dropped my axle to about 5.5" and de-arched and reversed the eyes. We'l se how it sits and go from there. I want it pretty low but want it to drive nice too... well for a 30s car that is -Shiny
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